OBJECTIVES: The rise of mosquito-borne diseases in tropical countries has emerged as a significant public health concern. An increase in the number of cases in Europe is anticipated due to people traveling between disease-emerging regions and Europe, and to climate change that expands the areas and periods in which mosquitoes thrive. This study aims to understand the dynamics in the epidemiology of arboviruses across Europe in recent years, considering both travel-related cases and local transmissions.

METHODS: Data from literature, the ECDC database, and national surveillance systems across European countries were analyzed to identify trends in mosquito-borne diseases, including chikungunya, dengue, malaria, Rift Valley fever, West Nile fever, yellow fever, and Zika. Tourism statistics were obtained from World Tourism Organization reports. The statistical analysis consisted in examining the evolution of the number of the cases across European countries considering the source of transmission (tourism or local).

RESULTS: The analysis confirmed a notable increase in mosquito-borne diseases, particularly malaria and dengue, across Europe in the pre-pandemic years raising from 5,782 cases in 2008 to 14,241 in 2019. It sharply dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic and re-increased after. From 2008 to 2019, the proportion of locally infected dengue cases in Europe represented every year less than 0.7% of the cases, more than 99% being travelers. Between 2019 and 2023, this proportion of locally infected cases has progressively and significantly increased, reaching 5.05% in 2023 (p<0.001). Italy, Spain, and France were identified as the countries facing the greatest threat of local transmissions.

CONCLUSIONS: The observed increase in local transmission of mosquito-borne diseases may be related to climate change, emphasizing the importance of addressing environmental factors in disease control strategies. Understanding the epidemiological trends can aid in the development of targeted interventions to mitigate the spread of these diseases and protect public health in Europe.